


the price of freedom, the price of justice

by muchosyouth (isamagicdragon)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Hyuuga Clan-centric, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 09:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18808789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isamagicdragon/pseuds/muchosyouth
Summary: This is it. Hizashi feels something in his chest die. He will rip out his clan from existence today, root and stem, and leave only Neji and Hinata as the seeds from which a new Hyuuga could grow. A Hyuuga without the rot of the Caged Bird Seal to poison them from the inside.[Hiashi dies, and the Hyuuga are in uproar, demanding justice. The Sandaime sees no other way out, and Hizashi pays the price.]





	the price of freedom, the price of justice

“Do you understand what it is we are asking of you?” the Sandaime asks Hizashi quietly, even as he finishes the last stroke of the counterseal on Hizashi’s forehead.

They are alone in the Hokage’s office, windows shuttered even though midnight has already passed. No one can see Hizashi here, not tonight. Tonight, Hizashi is going to kill his clan. 

"Yes, Hizashi answers curtly. How could he not understand? The decision to annihilate his own clan, root and stem, was not one any man could make lightly. Even now, Hizashi is ill to his stomach with the knowledge of what he has sworn to do.

_It is for the good of the village_ , he reminds himself. Right now, Konoha is weak. Barely five years have passed since the Third Shinobi World War ended, and barely two years have passed since the Kyuubi attacked the village. If the Hyuuga are successful in their plans for a coup, Kumo and the other villages will definitely exploit that moment of weakness, and Hiashi’s sacrifice will have been for nothing.

“I am sorry, brother,” Hiashi had told him, two weeks ago. It feels like more to Hizashi. They were watching over the sleeping children; for Hiashi, it was the last time he would ever see Hinata. “I should not have killed him. Now you will have to bear the consequences of my mistakes.”

At the time, Hizashi could not understand what he meant. Hiashi had already agreed to his own execution, had placed the Caged Bird Seal on himself to boot – what other consequences would there have been to bear? After the deed had been done, though, whispers of discontent erupted in the clan. Hizashi had paid them little mind, choosing to focus on the children, until he had been pulled into a meeting to plan the very war that Hiashi had sacrificed himself to avoid.

“First, they take our heiress, and then they take our clan head?!” Elder Hiroji had roared. “Kumo has to _pay_ , but the cowardly Hokage who allowed this to happen must pay _first_.”

To Hizashi’s horror, the rest of the clan agreed. Even Hitomi, who knew and understood that this is exactly what her husband had been aiming to prevent.

The Hokage lays down his brush, and forms the hand seals needed to remove the seal on Hizashi’s forehead. Pain blooms at his temples in consequence, but Hizashi forces himself to bear it.

_It’s for the good of the village,_ he insists to himself again. Sandaime-sama breaks out into sweat, pouring more chakra into the counter seal, and astonishingly, Hizashi feels his cage break.

Unimaginable pain, then nothingness.

~

“Do you believe that the Hokage can protect us now?” Hitomi snarled, when Hizashi had gone to confront her. The anger in her eyes is fierce -- almost feral -- and it is so unlike the gentle sister-in-law he knew that Hizashi took a startled step back. “Konoha is Konoha because of her people, because of her clans – what does it tell you about this thrice-damned Hokage that he is willing to sacrifice the head of his most loyal clan to appease another village?”

“There are more people in Konoha than just our clan,” Hizashi argued. “And we are in no position to win any wars after the Kyuubi attack!”

“Konoha is the strongest shinobi village, and we have won every single war we have been in,” Hitomi replied disdainfully. “I am not the only one who believes in Konoha! Fugaku-kun certainly agrees with me, and he has already agreed to help us get rid of Sarutobi Hiruzen.”

Hizashi’s blood ran cold. “You are speaking of treason,” he said weakly.

Hitomi stared at him defiantly. “I am speaking of justice. I thought you would be the greatest champion of justice for your brother, but it seems that I am wrong.”

“This is vengeance, Hitomi, and vengeance and justice are two different things,” Hizashi countered. “There's no way this won't end in disaster for Konoha - - I won't let you do this!”

Her lips twisted sardonically. “You act as if you have a choice.” To Hizashi’s horror, Hitomi brought her hands up to a familiar seal, and his vision exploded in white.

~

When Hizashi opens his eyes, the sensation of freedom and boundlessness that assaults him is bittersweet.

“Our bargain,” the Hokage says simply.

“Burn them first,” Hizashi croaks, eyes darting to the only copies of the Caged Bird Seal, lying on the Hokage’s desk.

A nod, and the scrolls burst into flames.

This is it. Hizashi feels something in his chest die. He will rip out his clan from existence today, root and stem, and leave only Neji and Hinata as the seeds from which a new Hyuuga could grow. A Hyuuga without the rot of the Caged Bird Seal to poison them from the inside.

When the scrolls burn down to ashes, Hizashi disappears in a swirl of leaves.

**Author's Note:**

> hiashi die challenge, but taken seriously. not sure where to take it from here -- let me know what you think in the comments! this is also not beta read; lmk if i need to make corrections


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